Coin of the Week: 1976 Japan 50 Yen

Obverse (Image: Chrysanthemum)

Reverse (Value, Year of Minting)

The currency of Japan is the Japanese yen, with 1 yen equalling 100 sen. The yen, meaning "a round object", was adopted in 1871 and replaced the previous and more complex monetary system, Tokugawa coinage. The Japanese yen is the third most traded currency (after the US Dollar and Euro) in the foreign exchange market and is also widely used as a reserve currency.

The design of the 50 yen coin has not changed since 1967. The obverse features a chrysanthemum. It is believed that this flower was first introduced to Japan around the 8th Century. It impressed the Japanese Emperors, who included the flower in their crest, and to this day is regarded as a symbol of the sun. The Japanese consider the way that the chrysanthemum's petals unfold to represent perfection. They celebrate the flower annually during a "chrysanthemum festival" known as the Festival of Happiness.

The reverse of the coin features the value and year of minting. The year of minting uses a Japanese era calendar scheme. The four eras (an era is called nengo) since the introduction of the Japanese yen are the Meiji (from 1868 - 1912), the Taisho (from 1912 - 1926), the Showa (from 1926 - 1989) and the Heisei (from 1989 - present). The year shown on the coin is the year number within a particular era. For example, this 50 yen coin was minted in the year 51 of the Showa era. Japanese era names are not only used on coins but usually required on official government documents as well.